EU Condemns Turkish Activity in Aegean, Eastern Mediterranean

EU foreign affairs chief Federica Mogherini on Friday condemned the ongoing, unlawful actions by Turkey in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean.

In a response to a question from European Parliament Vice-President Dimitris Papadimoulis about Turkish provocations against Greece and Cyprus, Mogherini reiterated that the European Council had unequivocally condemned Turkey’s continuing illegal activities in the Aegean and the Eastern Mediterranean.

She underlined its full solidarity with the Greece and Cyprus, adding that during the leaders’ meeting in Varna on March 26, European Commission and European Council Presidents Jean-Claude Juncker and Donald Tusk, respectively, had stressed the importance of good neighbourly relations with EU member states as a significant commitment in the accession process, while expressing continued concern about Turkey’s recent actions in the Eastern Mediterranean and the Aegean Sea.

Mogherini also said that the EU had repeatedly stressed the need for Turkey to respect the national sovereignty of member states over their territorial waters and airspace.

She noted that Tusk had underlined how the EU unanimously supports the right of the Republic of Cyprus to explore and exploit the natural resources within its Exclusive Economic Zone.